Movie Review: ‘Waltzing With Brando’

by | Sep 19, 2025 | Featured Post, Movie Reviews, Movies | 0 comments


Greetings again from the darkness. Marlon Brando was a true Hollywood legend. Renowned for his performances in such movies as A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951), ON THE WATERFRONT (1954), and of course, THE GODFATHER (1972). He was nominated for eight Oscars, winning three. Despite his on-screen fame, Brando was an enigma in life. Sexual escapades, a commitment to causes, a neighbor and friend to Jack Nicholson, and his own French Polynesian island contributed to the mystique. It’s that private island which writer-director Bill Fishman (nearly a 40-year career of music videos) focuses on here.

The film is adapted from the 2011 book, “Waltzing with Brando: Planning a Paradise in Tahiti”, written by Bernard Judge, who is not just a big part of the story, it is in fact, his story being told. We first meet Bernard Judge (played by Jon Heder, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, 2004) as a California-based architect with an interest in ecologically friendly and sustainable construction. It’s this interest that draws the attention of Marlon Brando (Billy Zane, TITANIC 1997; TOMBSTONE 1993, the underrated DEAD CALM 1989), who wants to develop something special on his remote island, Tetioroa. The two men hit it off and Bernard, with input from Brando, develops a comprehensive master plan and design.

Now if all that sounds a bit serious, you should know that director Fishman takes a light-handed, comedic approach to most of it. Zane’s Brando is both charming and manipulative, while Heder’s acting as Bernard is more suited to the man who finally takes to the relaxed Tahiti lifestyle, rather than the starched-shirt architect we first meet. Zane is made to look very much like Brando, yet he doesn’t limit his performance to posing and side-eyes. He even gets to deliver his Brando in “cuts” from THE GODFATHER, LAST TANGO IN PARIS, APOCALYPSE NOW, and SUPERMAN.

We learn developing a private island is not easy, even for Hollywood royalty. It’s also not cheap, and Brando, despite feeling tired of acting, continued taking jobs to pay for his dream … his restructuring of his “Gangster Movie” (THE GODFATHER) ended up costing him millions of dollars. The supporting cast includes Rob Corddry as Brando’s Business Partner, Richard Dreyfuss as the Money Manager, Alaina Huffman as Bernard’s wife, Camille Razat as a special friend. There are also appearances from Tia Carrere, David Guerira (as Francis Ford Coppola), and Heiae Touniou. Thanks to CGI, we see clips of Brando with Dick Cavett and Johnny Carson, and in keeping with the light-handed approach, there is a significant amount of speaking to the camera (breaking the 4th wall).

Billy Zane makes an excellent Brando (with a unique doorstop), while Jon Heder seems a bit miscast (or trying too hard). The story emphasizes Brando’s relaxed island style, purposefully avoiding the dark side. For Bernard Judge, these four or five years were life-altering, and we even see him looking back in 2010 during an interview for the book. Bernard passed away in 2021, so he didn’t get to see the film. It’s not a movie you can’t refuse, but for movie fans, it’s certainly fun to see Billy Zane as the icon.

Only in theaters on September 19, 2025

David Ferguson
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